Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Leaves Q&A #1

How soon do you need it?I'd like to receive all the leaves by October 11, though the sooner the better. I have to assemble this thing and get it photographed well before the end of October to make the deadline for my book.

What will happen to the tree once it is complete?You know, I hadn't thought much about it--I've been so wrapped up in the book. I will hold onto it at first to use in any publicity appearances for the book--I think it'll be a great showpiece. (The finished tree will be about 4' tall). When all the book hoopla is done, I may donate it to a children's hospital or shelter. Does anyone know of a place that would accept it?

Actually, you gave me a really great idea regarding the tree, and, if you don't mind, I would kind of like to implement something like this in the future.

I think a tree like that could work as a really great fundraiser. Have you ever heard of anything like the Tree of Lights? You would donate some money in the name of someone so you could have a light on a Christmas tree. But I was thinking that in this case that someone could purchase a leaf. That would still really work out well for the children's hospital or shelter, but now there's a fundraising aspect to it. I think that maybe if you brought up an idea like that to a shelter or hospital they would be more than willing to take the donation of the tree.

I'm working on some leaves right now, too--two are completed right now, but they're so fast I'm sure I can churn out more.

The idea came to me because when my grandmother died in 2006, they requested no flowers or gifts, but instead to plant a tree in her name. Well, I didn't live in a house then, my family didn't really have any land that I could plant on, and I didn't really want to use a foundation because I'd probably never get to see the tree that was planted. So, when you started this, I thought well, not only could I "plant" a tree, but I could potentially help hundreds or even thousands of people if I donated the tree to a hospital or a care center or something like that. My grandma was a nurse, and while she wasn't a knitter, she was a crocheter, so I think she'd approve.